There is something truly unique about the frenzied energy of a refugee/displaced person/ returnee camp, especially in its first few days of life. In some ways it reminds me of the emergency department I work in back home: the eager, well-meaning, often exhausted professionals scurrying about, each trying to accomplish their individual tasks as rapidly as possible

In recent years, the growth of emergency medicine around the globe has been exponential, with nearly 70 countries now granting some form of formal recognition to the field. At the same time, interest in Global Emergency Medicine (GEM) as a unique subspecialty of emergency medicine has also grown rapidly over the past decade.

Dr. Adam Levine, an assistant professor at Brown University Medical School, traveled to Libya with International Medical Corps (IMC) during August, just as rebels were beginning to overthrow the Gaddafi regime. The following are excerpts from his travel blog, which first appeared on www.epijournal.com .